Field
The present invention relates to an eco-friendly thermoplastic resin composition having an excellent electro-plating property.
Discussion of the Background
In accordance with a recent trend toward lighter and higher-quality vehicles, a plurality of products in which a thermoplastic resin is subjected to plating treatment have been used. Among these thermoplastic resins, acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) and polycarbonate-ABS (PC-ABS) resins have been widely used due to their excellent formability and plating properties.
As a method of plating a surface of plastic, a method in which a metal catalyst nucleus is attached to a surface of plastic, the surface is then treated with a diluted acidic solution, a conductive film is formed thereon through electroless copper plating or electroless nickel plating, and then electro-plating is performed has been suggested and commonly used.
However, since a plating solution used in electroless copper plating includes formaldehyde known as a carcinogen, an operator may be adversely affected. Also, when a copper plating solution is prepared, a strong complexing agent such as ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) is used to dissolve copper ions in an alkaline solution, and therefore a plurality of processes such as filtration, activated carbon treatment, ion exchange, and the like are involved to remove copper ions in a wastewater treatment operation, thereby decreasing processing efficiency.
In addition, hypophosphite included in a plating solution used in electroless nickel plating is converted into a phosphite through oxidation, and as a result, use of this method may lead to conflict with environmental regulations on a phosphorus component and cause problems such as environmental pollution due to a high COD level of wastewater discharged in a plating process.
Accordingly, the development of a thermoplastic resin composition that can appropriately manage problems such as deterioration in health of an operator, environmental pollution, and a decrease in processing efficiency occurring in a process of plating a plastic is necessary.